Second Sunrise
by secretTHGluver
Summary: She was just looking for a place to call her own, that will help her overcome her past. Instead, all alone in her new house, Katniss Everdeen reopens old wounds that she has sealed closed for the past year. With the help of someone, believed by her closest friends as nothing more than a figment of her imagination, she tries to heal her past until it's only good memories. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or its characters. It belongs to the lovely Suzanne Collins. **

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><p>Bitter. That's what I tasted when I took a sip of my coffee. I knew the barista wasn't fully listening to my order. She was too busy batting her eyelashes at the blonde man behind me. I had asked for a decaf coffee with one cube of sugar and milk. She gave me my coffee black. My Latte-loving friend tells me that I should take it back up to the counter and have them make me a new one.<p>

I decline and instead tear open the little sugar packets from the center basket, pouring a few into my coffee. I take a cautious sip and find it less bitter than before.

"I think today, I might actually need something more than this," my friend, Madge, says. I look up from my own cup surprised. I don't remember Madge ever needing anything more than her Latte in the mornings.

"Why? What's happening?" I ask taking another sip of my drink.

"Yesterday during my volunteer hours," she says quietly. "I was told to talk to a patient like I normally do, but this patient's in a coma."

She brushes some of her hair that has escaped its ponytail behind her ears. I don't understand why this coma patient is affecting her more than the other patients have.

"It's just that most of the patients they had me visit were elderly or young children, it's still sad to see them sick, but the last few ones have been around our age. It just makes me think. There's a chance that that could of been me. I hope not, but anything can happen, you know," she shrugs.

"Yeah," I reply, "I know." I know a lot about how that feels and then some.

Madge must sense my change in demeanor because she's quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. I-"

"No, it's okay," I interject. "I do know how you feel though."

It's quiet for a few moments before she continues, "The coma patient, his family is coming tomorrow. According to Doctor Aurilus, his family only visits him once a month so I'm free for the day. Do you want to hang out?"

"I can't," I sigh. "I have an appointment to view that house you found."

"Oh, the one in front of the beach!"

I nod. Madge was the one who found it online. I had given up on finding my own place when she showed me the advertisement.

It's a fair size house with the beach as it's backyard. The rental cost is affordable and the old lady I talked to seemed enthusiastic to show it to me. I've only seen the outside since there were only three photos in the advertisement. Two are of the front and one of the back.

"Yes, you can come with me if you want," I tell her. She agrees to accompany me but one glance at her watch and she's out the door with a promise to meet up later. I don't know what's up with her. For the last few weeks she's been fussing about being late to class, which doesn't make sense since her class starts at 8:30 but she takes off in a rush about an hour before.

I sip my coffee slowly as I run my fingers along the edge of the table. As I look up to check the time on the clock, the blonde man who was behind me in line gives me a small wave. I scowl at him before I realize he wasn't waving at me. A plump strawberry blonde girl at the table beside mine waves back at the man with a small rather sad smile. Swallowing a little more of the bitterness I head out of the coffee shop. A cool October breeze blasts me immediately as I push through the glass door. My fingers curl greedily around the warm cup.

In the silence of the street I can hear my heels click against the pavement. Normally, the streets are crowded around this time. Some students rushing to class, professors with their brief cases and coffee striding along the streets, younger siblings pushing their faces up against the store windows, and the occasional drunken student staggering back to their apartment.

I live in a small city called Panem. There isn't much of anything here but we do get frequent tourists. Only the tourists are soon-to-be students and their parents. The main attraction of Panem is the university. Capitol State. It used to be called something else, but one day a long time ago some man in a fancy suit showed up with documents and a new name.

We have a movie theatre, a library, a bakery, a bar, a hospital, a floral shop, ten restaurants, and over fifty other little stores. Oddly enough, everything here seems to be family owned, except for the hospital. I've learned that the hospital used to be a lot smaller and owned by my mother's family. Her parents, my grandparents, sold it to the city. The mayor immediately started expanding it. To this day, parts of the hospital are still under construction.

Whenever I accompany Madge to the hospital, I feel odd knowing part of my family used to own it. I've never met anyone on my mother's side. For some reason, she never mentioned them before. I only found out about them when I started school at Capitol State.

My mother lives quite a distance from Panem. I used to live with her and do the 45 minute drive every other day when I had class. Then things started getting hard for both of us. We would argue and when we weren't arguing we were pretending the other didn't exist.

I cross the long patch of yellowing grass into the building 12 apartments. Gripping the railing, I ascend the stairs and dig into my pockets for my key. With a creak I manage to get the door open with a nudge of my shoulder.

"Good morning, Katniss," my little neighbor chirps. I turn to see her shrug on her coat. Thresh's younger sister Rue, shines me a warm smile.

"Good morning," I reply. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Rue has told me before that she attends the high school on the outskirts of Panem. The same high school I attended and my sister attended. "No, it's a student free day. That means there's no school for students," she giggles. "I thought I told you yesterday."

"You probably did and I just forgot."

Mm. She hums. "That must be it. I have to go, but I'll see you later."

I watch as she barrels down the stairs and onto the walkway. I really hope Rue takes care of herself and becomes someone brilliant one day. I can imagine her graduating with the highest honors and getting accepted full scholarship into Capitol State. Just like I imagined my sister Prim.

Inside the apartment I share with Madge, I kick off my heels and slump onto the couch. Madge took me in after I moved out of my mother's. "If you want, you can come and live with me. I need help paying the rent anyway," she had said. It seemed like I didn't have any other option, so I accepted. But even from here I can still feel my mother's hollow, accusing stare. I know better than anything, that she still blames me for my sister's death.

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><p><strong>Hello! In the spirit of October, I wrote this new story. I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I've already written out most of it and I hope you stick around for the rest of it. I have put my other story on hold so I could work on this one. I hope you'll come to like this story and hopefully I'll see you in the next chapter. I'd love to hear from any of you if you have questions, comments, or if you just want a sneak peek. Just let me know. <strong>

**Happy October! **

**~ secretTHGluver ~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. It belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

**Second Sunrise**

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><p><em>All is silent as we eat. I hear a throat clear from the other side of the table. I look up to see my mother focused on me.<em>

_"You remember what today is, don't you," she asks._

_The streamers, the balloons, the cakes, and all the crazy themes. How can I forget the parties we had every year up until last year._

_"Yes," I say looking back down at my chicken and rice meal. My mother hums coldly, almost chilling the entire room._

_"She would've been seventeen this year. Almost an adult," she states._

_"I know," I mumble. I push the rice around on my plate with my fork. Clumping it together until it's in a pile. "Excuse me, I'm not very hungry."_

_I push out of my chair and take my plate and cup to the sink. I put them in and make my way upstairs. The entire time I can feel her eyes boring into my skull. Upstairs and out of view, I rush to my room and shut the door. My eyes burn with unshed tears. I slide down the door until my knees hit the ground. My breath comes out in a hiccup kind of pattern._

_"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I say in my hands. Tears now fall freely down my face. Each one racing down my cheeks until they splatter onto my lap._

_I want to scream. I want to hit something. I want to fall asleep and never wake. I want to take my sister's place but I can't. I was angry and I wasn't thinking. And my foolish thoughts costed my sister's life._

_I curl into a ball on the floor of my bedroom. I faintly hear a scratching against the door. It must be Buttercup, Prim's cat. He has taken a habit to accompany me during my breakdowns. But I know he misses her just as much as I do. I reach up and turn the knob. Opening it just a crack, he slips through. He rubs up against my thigh purring._

_"Do you remember?" I ask him. He tilts his head to the side. His luminous eyes just peering at me. "Do you remember, you stupid cat?" I yell at him. Fresh tears trickle down my face. I curl back into a ball, hiding my face in my knees. I feel warmth as Buttercup curls up against my back. I can hear his soft meows almost as if he's crying too. "Happy birthday, Prim."_

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><p>The house is bigger than I originally thought. The flooring is stained a beautiful dark mahogany and all the walls are colored a soft yellow. Luckily for me, Ms. Sae is willing to rent it fully furnished. I don't exactly have furniture of my own.<p>

Madge's apartment was stuffed to the ceiling with furniture. Her wealthy father had wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible while she was away from home. She told me once that he originally wanted to buy her a house, but she refused. He settled for buying her furniture for the apartment instead.

I have my own bedroom set but I didn't take it with me. I didn't take much of anything with me when I left my mother's. It was sort of a hastily made decision when I left. I took everything that I cared about and needed most and never look back.

"Do you like it, dear?" Ms. Sae asks.

I glance around the room once more before stepping over to the large window that overlooks the beach. This is a really beautiful house. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, and an even larger living room. The house is so spacious I wouldn't know what to do with it. It all seems too good to be true. Houses like this, you never find at an affordable price.

"Ms. Sae, if you don't mind my asking, why are renting it? I mean it-it's . . ." I trail off not sure how I want to finish that sentence in case it may offend her or something. Ms. Sae simply smiles.

"My father grew up in this house with his parents. I grew up in this house with my parents. My children grew up in this house, but none of them seem to love this place as much as I do. They are all grown up now with their own house to raise their children in. I offered it to my youngest but she said she wanted to live closer to her husband's job. Honestly, I'd sell it but there's so many good memories that I'm not ready to part with just yet. Of course not everyone can agree with me."

"What do you mean?" Madge asks warily.

"I shouldn't have said that," Ms. Sae huffs. "It's just that about six months ago, a group of students from the university broke in attempting to have a party. Many people know that this house has been vacant since I moved out 20 years ago after my husband died."

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Sae," Madge and I utter.

"It's okay, dears. A neighbor had heard a commotion inside and called the police. When the police came, the kids were already outside shaking from head to toe. They claimed that something tried to get them out of the house. They said that they can hear things slamming and they heard the phone in the kitchen dialing. A girl I know, Delly, a sweet friend of my granddaughter, said she felt something touch her. After that, I haven't received any calls from possible renters until you, dear."

I bite my lip to stop any words that might try to escape. Next to me, Madge fidgets nervously.

"Don't let their story scare you off. According to the police, they were under the influence. It was debunked to be an alcohol induced hallucination. Never during my time here did anything strange occur."

I look to Madge who now stands behind Ms. Sae. She shrugs. "I like it, Ms. Sae," I tell her. "If you'd rent it to me, then I'd be forever thankful."

Ms. Sae puts a hand over her mouth and puts another over her heart. "It's yours. We can finalize all the paperwork tomorrow and you can begin moving in anytime you like."

"Well that's the last box," Gale grunts. He carefully places the large box on the floor. "You know this feels like déjà vu from the last time I helped you move."

When I decided to leave my mother's, I called him to help me with the boxes. I tried to carry them myself but I couldn't do it. When he got there, he tried to convince me that I was making a mistake by leaving. We had a little bit of an argument before he gave in and helped me. Gale claimed that I should've held onto the last family I had left, but he just didn't understand. We used to be close, but now I can feel the distance between us.

"So what happened with Madge," he asks sitting down on a box. "I thought she was going to help you unpack some stuff."

"Well, she got called in to have a pep talk with one of the elderly patients that are going into surgery," I tell him.

I carry the box filled with my kitchen stuff and place it on the counter. Madge dragged me into a store and had me buy some of own stuff. She convinced me to buy some of the simple things first like utensils, cups, and plates. She plans on taking me tomorrow to buy groceries.

"Alright, so it's just you and me," he sighs. "Where do you want this?"

"If it's a large box, then put it in the bedroom," I point vaguely to my right. I watch in my peripheral vision as he disappears down the hallway. He reappears a few moments later unsure of which. I tell him whichever room is the largest.

Unpacking all my things, old and new, takes no longer than three days. Madge tried to convince me to have a sort of party gathering to break in the new house, but she knew what my answer would be.

To say the house is peaceful would be an understatement. It's best at night just after the sun has gone down. I can hear the waves from my bedroom lulling me to sleep. The only thing I'm bothered by is the ocean winds blowing open the windows.

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><p><strong>Hello! Before a chapter in italics I will be putting a flashback of Prim's death and the aftermath of it. I'll also do a few flashbacks of moments in Katniss's life that are important to the story. I hope I see you in the next chapter! Member and guest reviews are greatly appreciated! I'd love to hear from you! Reviews make me smile as large as a mile. Bye!<strong>

**~ secretTHGluver ~**


	3. Chapter 3

_Stepping around the crisp autumn leaves, I tread silently. My fingers skim along the rough bark of the trees. Crunch! Spinning on my heels, I bolt in the direction of the crunching leaves._

_A bush dotted in white frail flowers that have just barely begun to close up for the fall tremble with whispered giggles. I tiptoe around the bush. Counting to three in my head, I part the branches revealing a little girl with blonde pigtails._

_"I found you," I yell. She screams and giggles. Jumping out of the bush, we sprint away into the clearing._

_"How are you so good at this game?" my little sister asks me. I shrug halfheartedly._

_"Again?" I grin. She shakes her head. "Well, do you have an idea of what you want to do?"_

_"I might have one," she says slowly. She sprints off back into the woods screaming,"Lake!"_

_I chase after her. Keeping close behind her, we cut between trees and jump over logs until we meet the small river that cuts across this section of the woods. She stops suddenly._

_"Did you hear that?" She asks. Her head turns to something to the left. She walks cautiously toward a small log. "Awe! Sister look!"_

_She bends down and scoops something fuzzy into her hands. Peering over her shoulder, I spot an ugly yellow creature. A kitten with half an ear missing, a large spotted belly, and uneven mucky yellow fur._

_"Isn't he adorable?" my sister coos. She spins around facing me with her wide pleading eyes. "Can I keep him?"_

_"You don't know where he's been?" I counter._

_"Please Sister," she begs. A tear rolls down her cheek followed by another one. "He needs a home! We can't leave him out here. Please, please, please!"_

_One look into her eyes and I know she's isn't going to give in until I agree. "Fine," I sigh. "He can come with us, but you will be held responsible for him."_

_Her arms wrap around me like a vice. "Thank you," she cries. Her tears soak into my shirt. The entire walk home she coos to her new pet. "I'm going to call you . . . Buttercup."_

_"Buttercup?" I ask. _

_"His fur is the same color as the flowers," she informs me._

_"I don't see it," I say. She shoves me playfully. I shove her back with a smile playing on my lips. She laughs and grins down at Buttercup. One glance at her smiling face and I know I made the right decision. I might regret it a few times, but I know deep down I just gave her a happiness that she will harbor until the day she parts with him. _

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><p>You've been here for almost a week and you haven't stepped outside into your enormous backyard," exclaims Johanna from the window. She comes around the counter and slams her hand on the granite top. "Seriously, how brainless are you?"<p>

"I haven't had time to go out there," I shrug, flipping through my textbook.

Johanna and I were partnered up for a presentation in our intermediate composition class. We have to pick a topic, research it and prepare an in class presentation about the topic. Separately, we both have to write an informative and persuasive essay. The presentation and paper are due about two weeks from now. Johanna and I have yet to agree on a topic.

"Hey, how about the impact of today's technology," I offer.

"No, I heard someone was already doing that one," she says throwing herself on the couch. "Hmm. Cozy but it seems a bit too antique for your taste."

"It came with the house," I mumble. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I might have one," she says slowly. She jumps up and runs to the back door while tugging her top off. "If you're not going to enjoy having the beach as your backyard then I will." She pulls down her shorts and sprints out onto the sand in her undergarments.

I drop my head on my textbook with a grunt. Why couldn't I have gotten a different partner? Last time we tried to research a topic, we ended up at a bar. Another time before that, she almost blew up Madge's microwave.

"I'd rather do this project alone," I mumble into the pages. I sigh before raising my head and shutting it closed.

I jump when I hear a door slam. "Very funny, Johanna," I say but when I turn in the direction of the door no one is there. I creep towards the window and spot Johanna frolicking in the ocean. She didn't slam the door.

An hour after she's dried off, Johanna turns to me and asks, "What's your stand on the supernatural?"

"Do you mean the show or-"

"No, Brainless, I mean in real life. You know, possessions, exorcisms, ghosts . . "

"I don't believe in that stuff," I tell her.

"Neither do I. Look, we agreed on something," she smiles. "I think we should do it on major supernatural claims throughout the years. The supernatural seems like a good topic in October."

"Okay, so what are we suppose to persuade about on the supernatural?" I ask sitting down across from her.

"Easy. We persuade our audience about whether it's real or not. Which we both know it's not," she sits up straight with a triumphant smile. "There. I think we've done enough for one day."

I scowl at her while she throws her things in her bag. "Johanna, I think we should at least start on the research," I shout after her.

"You can start if you want. It's fine by me," she shouts back and closes the door after her.

For the most part of dinner, I'm alternating from my laptop to the stove. Once my grilled cheese sandwiches are done, I place them on a plate and jump up onto the counter. I put the plate and laptop on either side of me. I bookmark a few websites that look promising enough. Although there was one that sounded promising but it was just a fan's website for the television show. I take another bite of my sandwich before shutting the laptop closed.

My eyes wander around the empty kitchen before I hop off the counter. Having my own place isn't how I thought it would be. Sure, it's nice and quiet but it feels kind of empty. I've always been surrounded by someone who cares for me. It was my father, then my sister, then Madge, Gale, Gale's family, even having Johanna here earlier made me feel like someone was here. Maybe Madge was right that night long ago. I wasn't looking for a place to call my own, but rather a place to seclude myself. I felt so haunted that I went in search of somewhere I can truly be alone. Just me and my shadow.

I let the warm water of the shower wash over my body for a few more moments before turning it off. The knob creaks in protest. I reach for my towel, wrapping it tight around my body. Stepping out of the foggy bathroom and into my bedroom, I feel a cool breeze brush against my exposed legs. My feet pad against the flooring, echoing throughout the house. Glancing at my alarm clock, I read it's a few minutes past midnight. I sink into the soft cushion of my comforter with a huff.

But the thumping footsteps echoing through the house do not stop after I've laid down. The footsteps aren't mine. I rise slowly and reach for the closest object I can find. A television remote. Not effective but light enough to throw and small enough to conceal. I tighten my towel around me and quietly approach my bedroom door.

I peer through it, but I don't see anything other than the wall. I consider dressing before stepping out. The footsteps pause for a moment before continuing.

I step out into the hallway. Empty. I creep along the wall and round the corner that leads into the living room. The footsteps get louder. The burglar must be in the living room. I flatten against the wall and take a deep breath. I stride confidently into the living room with my grip tight on the remote. The footsteps stop. I rapidly scan the room but I can't find the burglar. I swear the sounds were from in here.

"Come out! I know someone's there!" I yell. "Show yourself!"  
>Everything is silent as my words hang in the air until the burglar responds.<p>

"Hello?" a voice calls from behind me. I twist around so fast my vision blurs for a moment but when everything comes back into focus I can't believe the sight before me.

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><p><strong>Hello reader! I just want to quickly thank all who followed, favorited, and reviewed. A special thanks to <strong>**_Hungergamesgirl711 _for being so supporting! And a great big thanks to my guest reviewer whom I cannot privately respond to: I will promise you that Peeta will be revealed a lot sooner than you may think. Maybe in the next chapter. *wink, wink* **

**I have also changed the story summary by the way. If you want to know more about my plans for this story, scroll up and read the new and improved summary. I hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. **

**I hope I see you in the next chapter until then enjoy this sneak peek from the next one: **

Her blue orbs bore into my gray ones almost like she's trying to pick apart my reasoning behind my tall tale. "Katniss, are you feeling okay? Being alone out there isn't starting to mess with your head is it?"

"You don't believe me," I scoff. "Madge, why would I make this up?"

"I don't know. Maybe to try and fill a void," she fires back. "You've been through so much and being out there by yourself probably dug up some discarded memories and your mind is just trying to conjure up some positive ones that you may have forgotten."

***in Rumplestilskin's voice* **

**Until next time, dearies!**

**~ secretTHGluver ~**


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